Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene provided a major update on skipper Hardik Pandya after Mumbai’s IPL 2026 defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur on Sunday.
Mumbai Indians were without their regular captain for the second consecutive match, with Suryakumar Yadav leading the side in Hardik’s absence. MI eventually suffered a heartbreaking two-wicket defeat, a result that officially knocked them out of the IPL 2026 playoff race alongside Lucknow Super Giants.
Speaking after the match, Jayawardene revealed that Hardik has been struggling with a back issue and is currently undergoing treatment under the supervision of the team’s medical staff. The all-rounder was unable to train in the lead-up to the clash, prompting the franchise to avoid risking his fitness.
“Yeah, Hardik had a back issue which we were trying to rectify, but it hasn’t settled in yet. So the medical guys were working on him. He couldn’t train the last few days, so we didn’t want to take a risk without knowing exactly,” Jayawardene said.
“It’s on a day-to-day basis now. We’ll see how he feels and then make a decision accordingly,” he added.
Despite missing their captain, Mumbai Indians managed to post a competitive total of 166/7 on a difficult batting surface. However, RCB held their nerve to complete the chase on the final ball and climb to the top of the IPL 2026 points table.
Reflecting on Mumbai’s disappointing campaign, Jayawardene admitted the franchise failed to maintain consistency throughout the season.
“The season is disappointing. We had our opportunities, but we were not good enough. We were not consistent enough with either bat or ball, and that showed in the margins,” the former Sri Lankan captain said.
“We were probably two or three wins away from being in the same group of contenders fighting for the playoffs, but we didn’t get those wins. Today was another example where we fell short,” he added.
